Boston & Maine Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Published: May 30, 2026
By: Adam Burns
The Boston & Maine Railroad pioneered dieselization in the Northeast, beginning in the 1930s and completing the transition by the mid-1950s. Early experiments with internal-combustion power gave way to a diverse fleet emphasizing switchers for yard and local work, road switchers for freight, and cab units for passenger and dual-service duties. Builders included ALCO, EMD, GE, and Fairbanks-Morse, with the roster peaking around 200–235 units in the 1960s before later changes under Guilford Transportation Industries in 1983.
A group of classic Boston & Maine FTs, led by #4204, lead a freight through Greenfield, Massachusetts on September 18, 1955. Photographer unknown, Rick Burn collection.Switchers arrived first. ALCO HH600/HH660 units (1101–1102, 1934–1938) marked the start, followed by GE 44-tonners (110–114/119 series, 1940–1948, class DS-1a) for light industrial and branchline jobs. EMD SW1s (1109–1132, 1939–1953) and SW9s (1220–1231, 1952–1953) provided reliable 1,000-hp yard power, while SW8s (800–807, 1953) added more capacity. ALCO S-series switchers proliferated: S1/S2 (1940s), S3 (1176–1188, 1952), S4 (1266–1274), and S5 (860–865, 1954, some rebuilt). These B-B units handled everything from shop switching to local freights.
Road freight and dual-service power centered on ALCO RS2/RS3 road switchers (1501–1534 series, late 1940s–1950s) and EMD GP7s (1555–1577/GP7 1563–1571 group, 1950–1952) and GP9s (1700–1749, 1957). Later EMD GP18s, GP38-2s (200–212, 300–317 series, 1970s), and GP40-2s expanded the fleet for modernized operations. These versatile units replaced steam Consolidations and Moguls on secondary lines.
Passenger and high-speed services used EMD cab units. E7As (3800–3821 series, 1945–1946) powered named trains in the iconic maroon-and-gold “Minute Man” scheme. F2, F3, and F7 A/B sets (4224–4268 series, 1940s–1950) handled freight and dual duties, often in A-B-B-A consists. A unique Fairbanks-Morse P12-42 pair (1–2, 1957) powered the lightweight Speed Merchant Talgo trainset.
Paint schemes evolved distinctly. Pre-1944 switchers used black with rectangular heralds. Postwar, most received maroon sides with gold stripes and the Minute Man herald. In the 1950s–1970s, many GP9s adopted the McGinnis “Bluebird” livery (blue hoods, black cab, white stripes), while others went solid blue with variations like interlaced BM heralds. Footboard removal in later years added orange step wells on some units.
B&M’s dieselization reflected aggressive modernization: wartime FT orders, postwar EMD and ALCO purchases, and 1970s second-generation EMD power. The roster proved durable, with many units surviving into the Guilford era or finding homes on short lines and museums (e.g., GP38-2 No. 252 at Conway Scenic). By focusing on reliable, maintainable power suited to New England’s network, B&M’s diesel fleet efficiently replaced steam and sustained operations into the late 20th century.
Alco
| Road Number | Model | Builder | Completion Date | Serial Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 860-865 | S5 | Alco | 6/1954 | 80916-80921 | #864 preserved at the Hobo Railroad/Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. |
| 1101 | HH660 | Alco | 3/1938 | 69082 | Later renumbered 1161; scrapped in 1/1959. |
| 1102 | HH600 | Alco | 9/1934 | 68608 | Built as demonstrator #602. Later renumbered 1160. Scrapped in 12/1947 by the B&M. |
| 1162 | HH660 | Alco | 12/39 | 69232 | Sold for scrap in 1/1959. |
| 1163-1164 | S1 | Alco | 7/1944-8/1944 | 70050, 71662 | - |
| 1165 | S1 | Alco | 10/1944 | 72837 | - |
| 1166-1167 | S1 | Alco | 8/1948 | 75895-75896 | - |
| 1168-1169 | S1 | Alco | 1/4199 | 76153-76154 | - |
| 1170-1171 | S1 | Alco | 3/1949 | 76568-76569 | - |
| 1172 | S1 | Alco | 5/1949 | 76737 | - |
| 1173-1174 | S3 | Alco | 9/1950 | 78318-78319 | - |
| 1175-1176 | S3 | Alco | 9/1950 | 78391-78392 | - |
| 1177-1179 | S3 | Alco | 2/1952-3/1952 | 79539-79541 | - |
| 1180-1181 | S3 | Alco | 3/1952-4/1952 | 79767, 79770 | |
| 1182-1184 | S3 | Alco | 4/1952-5/1952 | 79771-79773 | - |
| 1185-1188 | S3 | Alco | 5/1952-6/1952 | 80051-80054 | #1186 preserved at the Hobo Railroad/Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. |
| 1260-1262 | S2 | Alco | 5/1944 | 72060-72062 | - |
| 1263 | S2 | Alco | 6/1945 | 73376 | - |
| 1264-1265 | S2 | Alco | 7/1945 | 73595-73596 | - |
| 1266-1273 | S4 | Alco | 8/1950 | 78021-78028 | - |
| 1274 | S4 | Alco | 9/1950 | 78319 | Rebuilt from S3 #1174 |
| 1280-1281 | S5m | Alco | 6/1954 | 80916-80917 | Rebuilt from S5 #860-861. |
| 1282-1283 | S5m | Alco | 6/1954 | 80921, 80918 | Rebuilt from S5s #865 and #862. |
| 1501-1504 | RS2 | Alco | 3/1949 | 76648-76651 | - |
| 1505-1509 | RS3 | Alco | 4/1954-5/1954 | 80732-80736 | - |
| 1510-1517 | RS3 | Alco | 10/1954 | 80749-80756 | - |
| 1518-1519 | RS3 | Alco | 4/1955 | 81162-81163 | - |
| 1530-1532 | RS2 | Alco | 3/1949 | 76652-76654 | - |
| 1533-1534 | RS2 | Alco | 6/1949 | 76975-76976 | - |
Boston & Maine F3A #4228 rests inside the roundhouse in Somerville, Massachusetts on February 8, 1970. Roger Puta photo.Electro-Motive
| Road Number | Model | Builder | Completion Date | Serial Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | GP38-2 | EMD | 2/1974 | 73636-12 | #212 repainted in Bicentennial colors. |
| 201-212 | GP38-2 | EMD | 12/1973, 2/1974 | 73636-1 thru 73636-12 | Sold to Kansas City Southern. |
| 300-317 | GP40-2 | EMD | 12/1977 | 776025-1 thru 776025-18 | - |
| 800-807 | SW8 | EMD | 5/1953 | 18200-18207 | #864 preserved at the Hobo Railroad/Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. |
| 1103-1105 | SC | EMC | 8/1936 | 611-613 | - |
| 1106-1108 | SC | EMC | 7/1938 | 758-760 | - |
| 1109-1111 | SW1 | EMC | 1/1939 | 912-914 | #1109 preserved at the Railroad Museum of New England |
| 1112-1113 | SW1 | EMD | 11/1941 | 1457-1458 | -- |
| 1114-1116, 1117 | SW1 | EMD | 10/1946 | 3884-3886, 3895 | - |
| 1118 | SW1 | EMD | 4/1949 | 8321 | -- |
| 1119-1132 | SW1 | EMD | 7/1953-8/1953 | 18186-18199 | #1125 involved in head-on collision with Central Vermont GP9 #4929 on 10/2/1972. |
| 1200-1201 | NW2 | EMD | 11/1941 | 1461-1462 | - |
| 1202-1204 | NW2 | EMD | 7/1942 | 1993-1995 | - |
| 1205-1207 | NW2 | EMD | 9/1946 | 3091-3093 | - |
| 1208-1213 | NW2 | EMD | 1/1949 | 7738-7739, 7734-7737 | - |
| 1220-1226 | SW9 | EMD | 1/1952 | 15748-15754 | - |
| 1227-1231 | SW9 | EMD | 5/1953 | 18181-18185 | - |
| 1550-1553 | BL2 | EMD | 7/1948-9/1948 | 5259-5262 | - |
| 1555-1560 | GP7 | EMD | 9/1950 | 12373-12378 | - |
| 1561-1562 | GP7 | EMD | 12/1950 | 12379-12380 | - |
| 1563-1571 | GP7 | EMD | 2/1952-3/1952 | 15786-15794 | - |
| 1572-1577 | GP7 | EMD | 4/1953-5/1953 | 18175-18180 | #1577 became Springfield Terminal #35. |
| 1700-1709 | GP9 | EMD | 2/1957-3/1957 | 23198-23207 | 1703-1704, 1706, 1708 renumbered as 1803-1804, 1806, 1808. |
| 1710-1726 | GP9 | EMD | 9/1957-12/1957 | 23208-23224 | 1717, 1721, 1725-1726 renumbered as 1817, 1821, 1825-1826. |
| 1727-1739 | GP9 | EMD | 4-6/57 | 23225-23237 | #1738 renumbered 1838. #1732 is preserved at the Railroad of New England Museum. |
| 1740-1749 | GP9 | EMD | 7/1957-9/1957 | 23238-23247 | 1748 renumbered 1848 |
| 1770-1775 | GP18 | EMD | 5/1961 | 26659-26664 | Renumbered 1750-1755 |
| 3800-3801 | E7A | EMD | 9/1945 | 3339-3340 | - |
| 3802-3815 | E7A | EMD | 6/1946 | 3341-3354 | - |
| 3816-3819 | E7A | EMD | 7/1948 | 5623-5626 | - |
| 3820 | E7A | EMD | 4/1949 | 8475 | - |
| 3821 | E8A | EMD | 1/1950 | 9088 | Sold to Missouri Pacific as #42. |
| 4200A-4205A | FTA | EMD | 9/1943-12/1943 | 1916-1921 | Traded in to EMD. |
| 4200B-4205B | FTB | EMD | 9/1943-12/1943 | 1969-1974 | - |
| 4206A-4207A, 4208A | FTA | EMD | 2/1944-10/44 | 1975-1977 | Traded-in to EMD. |
| 4206B-4207B, 4208B | FTB | EMD | 2/1944-10/1944 | 1994-1996 | - |
| 4209A-4211A, 4212A-4223A | FTA | EMD | 10/1944-11/1944 | 1991-1993, 2404-2415 | Traded-in to EMD. |
| 4209B-4211B, 4212B-4223B | FTB | EMD | 2/1944-10/1944 | 1997-1999, 2416-2427 | - |
| 4224A-4226A | F2A | EMD | 10/1946 | 3085-3087 | - |
| 4227B-4228B | F2B | EMD | 10/1946 | 3088-3090 | - |
| 4227A-4228A | F3A | EMD | 10/1948 | 5601-5602 | - |
| 4227B-4228B | F3B | EMD | 10/48 | 5604-5605 | - |
| 4250A-4264A | F2A | EMD | 7/1946 | 3070-3084 | - |
| 4265A | F7A | EMD | 3/1949 | 8478 | - |
| 4265B-4266B | F7B | EMD | 7/1950 | 12303-12304 | - |
| 4266A-4267A | F7A | EMD | 3/1949 | 8476-8477 | - |
| 4267B-4268B | F7B | EMD | 11/1950 | 12382-12383 | #4268B preserved by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society as Jersey Central 'D'. |
| 4268A | F7A | EMD | 10/1949 | 9932 | - |
| 6000 | AA | EMC | 2/1935 | 9932 | Streamlined shovel-nose power car for the "Flying Yankee" trainset. |
Fairbanks-Morse
| Road Number | Model | Builder | Completion Date | Serial Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | P12-42 | FM | 12/1957 | 17L1060-17L1061 | Power cars for the "Speed Merchant", a lightweight TALGO trainset. |
Boston & Maine GP40-2s #302 and #314, along with GP38-2 #209, pull into SK Yard in Buffalo, New York arriving from Binghamton on the Southern Tier line on June 12, 1983. Doug Kroll photo.General Electric
| Road Number | Model | Builder | Completion Date | Serial Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110-113 | 44-ton | GE | 11/1940 | 12915-12917, 12943 | - |
| 114-116 | 44-ton | GE | 6/1941-7/1941 | 13092-13094 | - |
| 117 | 44-ton | GE | 8/1942 | 15036 | - |
| 118-119 | 44-ton | GE | 12/1947, 6/1948 | 29076, 29974 | - |
| 1100 | Boxcab | GE/Ingersoll-Rand | 1/1935 | 11645 | - |
Plymouth Locomotive Works
| Road Number | Model | Builder | Completion Date | Serial Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | JL8 | Plymouth | 6/1930 | 3506 | - |
| 101 | ML8 | Plymouth | 3/1938 | 3963 | - |
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